Katy Perry on Judging 'American Idol': 'It’s Not Right for Me'

The pop star, who has sat in as a guest judge and featured performer on the Fox show, tells The Hollywood Reporter that the time commitment is an issue.

Fox

Katy Perry (third from left) sat in as a guest judge on season 9 of "American Idol"

The rumor mill is running on fumes at this point as practically every pop star imaginable has had his or her name floated as a possible replacement for American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. Not that any of the three music-turned-TV stars has made an exit announcement -- official or otherwise -- but hey, it’s fun to play this game! Not.

So the latest short list has the likes of Adam Lambert “in talks” for a spot (the season 8 runner-up later issued a statement saying, “IF Idol wants to talk to me about judging, I'd be more than flattered to have that conversation”) and Nicki Minaj, Will.I.Am (who recently did a tour of duty on The Voice UK), Fergie, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry “being considered.”

While Cyrus makes sense as a judges’ table foil to fellow Disney alum Demi Lovato, who’s sitting in on The X Factor this year, and Fergie and Minaj (along with Lady Gaga and Elton John) are often the first go-to’s on a search for credibility, success and relevance in music, Perry is an unlikely candidate.

The pop star tells The Hollywood Reporter, “People have reached out to me about the possibility of being involved, and it's not right for me yet.” Rather, Perry adds, she has other irons in the fire (including launching her own label) and “it's a real commitment to be on one of those shows. … I have ideas for two or three big, creative things, and I want to be able to fulfill those ideas.”

Perry, whose 3D concert documentary Part of Me opened last week with box-office returns of $10.4 million, insists she’s not philosophically opposed to the concept of singing competition shows (“it's very of-the-moment, and some of them are better than others,” she says) but without naming names, the 27-year-old multiplatinum seller does take issue with a few of the casting decisions made. “I find it completely hilarious when they hire people that are not current in music and haven't been for a decade or longer,” says Perry. “Or if they're not even in music. How are you going to give a perspective when you haven't even lived that perspective?”

So if all three Idol judges bolt before season 12 and a whole new panel has to be built from scratch, who might be on it? Don’t rule out those closest to the show -- like, say, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe -- hints a source.